The present invention relates to a numerical controller for controlling machine tools, and its object is to improve operability and discernibility of a setting display unit in the numerical controller.
The numerical controller, in general, is constructed as illustrated in FIG. 1. That is, the numerical controller denoted by 100 consists of an input unit 101 which introduces tool instructions, a memory unit 102 which stores tool instruction members introduced through the input unit 101, an output unit 103 which sends the tool instruction numbers stored in the memory unit 102 to a machine tool 110, an arithmetic unit 104, a control unit 105 which controls the input or memory operations, and the setting display unit 106 which sets tool data and machining data to the memory unit 102 and displays them. In particular, the present invention relates to the improvement of the setting display unit 106 in the numerical controller 100.
FIG. 2 shows a numerical control equipped with a conventional setting display unit, in which reference numeral 1 denotes a functional key unit for selecting various functions of the setting display unit. For instance, the functional key unit has a group of keys for suitably selecting such functions as position display function, parameter setting display function, search setting display function, compilation setting display function, and the like among the functions of the setting display unit. Reference numeral 2 denotes a data key unit for setting desired data responding to the functions selected by the functional key unit 1. The data key unit 2 consists of a alpha-numeric keys, contol keys, and the like. Reference numeral 3 denotes a data display unit which displays the functions selected by the functional key unit 1 and the data set by the data key unit 2. The data display unit 3 is made up of a cathode-ray tube (CRT) or the like.
Below is explained display operation of the setting display unit in the numerical controller.
First, a key responding to a desired function in the functional key unit 1 of the numerical controller is depressed, so that a picture responding to a desired function is displayed on the data display unit 3 for instance, when a position display function key of the functional key unit 1 is depressed, the display illustrated in FIG. 3 is made on the data display unit 3. Then, when a desired key in the data key unit 2 is depressed, a desired data is set on the displayed picture and is displayed. The numerical controller performs a desired operation based upon the thus set new data.
In the conventional numerical controller, the keys in the functional key unit are responding to the pictures displayed on the data display unit in a 1-to-1 manner. Therefore, the keys in the functional key unit must be provided in a number responding to the number of desired functions. Namely, when it is desired to increase the number of desired functions, the number of keys must be increased respondently, requiring increased areas for installing the keys. Further, increase in the number of functional keys results in complex operation for selecting keys in the functional key unit. Moreover, which keys are selected is not displayed, making it difficult to discriminate which keys are really depressed.